Hepatitis-B Immunization Insights among Healthcare Community

Background: Hepatitis B is a viral infection. It can be prevented through awareness and vaccination. Healthcare professionals are constantly at risk of being exposed to the infection. However, there have always been some misconceptions regarding the vaccination program among the people of Pakistan. This has influenced the attitudes and practices of people in general and healthcare workers in specific towards the Hepatitis-B vaccination.
Objective: To assess knowledge, practices and attitude factors regarding Hepatitis-B vaccination among Muzaffarabad medical students and healthcare professionals.
Methodology: An analytical cross-sectional survey was conducted by circulating a self-structured questionnaire among the Medical Students and Healthcare Workers of Muzaffarabad. The sample size was calculated to be 197 using RAOSOFT.
Results: Out of 250 respondents, 157 were females and 93 were males. The overall data suggests a high level of knowledge and awareness (99.2%). Hepatitis B vaccination was about 21.2%, highlighting a gap in vaccination coverage that needs to be addressed. The majority recommending vaccination to others about 83.6% indicates a positive attitude towards vaccination promotion within the community.
Conclusions: This study offers valuable insights into the awareness and perception of hepatitis B among medical students with clinical experience and healthcare workers (HOs and PGs). Notably, the study revealed a high level of general awareness about hepatitis B among the participants, reflecting the effectiveness of public health campaigns and medical education efforts.